Mexico City (AFP) – Mexico's Congress on Thursday approved a ban on entertainment shows involving dolphins and other marine mammals, the lower house announced, delighting animal rights campaigners.

The reform, which won unanimous support, has already been passed by the upper house and now goes to the president to be signed into law.

It means that dolphinariums will be phased out in Mexico, which is home to eight percent of the world's captive dolphins, according to figures published by Congress.

Marine mammals will only be allowed to be caught in the wild or bred in captivity for conservation purposes.

The NGO Humane World for Animals Mexico hailed the vote as "a decisive move toward ending the exploitation of whales, dolphins and other marine mammals for entertainment."

The ban marked "a major stride forward in animal welfare and conservation efforts in Mexico," it added.

The NGO said that there were an estimated 350 dolphins in captivity in Mexico that would now have to be relocated to sea pens.